Torn (The Pteron Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  She laughed. “You’ll be staying in a mansion nicer than my house.”

  “Ok, that’s a nice perk.” Allie’s house was huge and luxurious.

  “You don’t actually mind going, do you?” She studied me in a way she never had before. She knew me better than almost anyone, yet we’d drifted apart over the past few years. I worked for her and saw her daily, but otherwise our lives were completely different from each other’s.

  “Of course not. I can’t promise to stick to your prepared words though.”

  Allie crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re saying the words on my behalf so you have to stick to those. If you want to speak later on as yourself, have at it.”

  “Good. We agree on most of this stuff.”

  “We agree on all of it. The difference is in how we express ourselves. Or rather how we are allowed to express ourselves.”

  “You were born for this position, weren’t you?”

  Allie laughed again, and some of my worry disappeared. She was tired but that was it. Underneath the exhaustion she was still incredibly happy. I was glad for her, but I wondered if I’d ever find that kind of happiness in my own life. “Not exactly. I love my position, but taking it cost me some freedoms I used to take for granted. Leaders can’t just say exactly what’s on their minds.”

  “Some leaders may beg to differ.” I raised an eyebrow. We’d met our fair share over the years.

  She shrugged. “I’m not some leaders. I’m Queen of The Society.”

  It was my turn to laugh. “And to think there was a point in time you didn’t want this job.” When Allie first showed up in New Orleans she’d had no clue she’d end up as the queen of the largest and strongest supernatural governing body around.

  “Things change.”

  “They do.” So much had changed. “Send over the speech. I have to finish up some other things, and then I’ll head home and get ready.”

  “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Hailey.”

  “You’d find someone else to do your dirty work.” I laughed.

  She shook her head. “But no one will talk back to me the way you do.”

  “For once my inability to keep my mouth shut helps me.”

  “And your positive attitude. Don’t forget that.”

  “Very funny.” I slumped in my chair.

  “You used to have one.”

  “As you said, things change.”

  “Have you talked to your brother?” She grazed her lip with her teeth.

  “He’s not in a place where cell phones work.” Although to be fair I could have gotten in contact with him if I really wanted to. The problem was getting in contact with him would involve getting in contact with someone else.

  “In other words, you are still avoiding someone.”

  “I have a lot of work to do. You know my job.” I stood up. “Send over your speech so I can make sure I approve of it.”

  “Approve of it?” She raised an eyebrow.

  “Your speechwriters sometimes miss things.”

  “You are welcome to join the team anytime.”

  “Nah. Speech writing isn’t my thing. I’m more of a wing it kind of girl.”

  “Some would say that’s a pun.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Very funny.”

  “I envy you for them, you know.”

  “My wings?” I touched the spot on my back that hid my greatest secret.

  “Yes. No matter how good a job I do as queen, I’ll never have them.”

  “I’ll never be human, so maybe we’re even.”

  “You don’t want to be human.”

  I shrugged. “It would make life simpler.”

  “You mean like my life?” She spread her arms out. “I never knew you wanted simplicity. Usually you want the opposite.”

  “I’m making a point. We all want what we can’t have.”

  “True. Add sparkling intellect to your list of wonderful traits.”

  “It’s already on the list.” I grinned. “See you around.” I headed out of her office and closed the door. Sometimes working for your best friend was convenient. If I worked for anyone else I would have already been fired.

  3

  Wyatt

  Fiery. Hailey was fiery, but that wasn’t the only reason I wanted her. Scratch that. It wasn’t the only reason I needed her. I knew who she was the moment I met her. The challenge was getting her to agree.

  “What do you mean you’re going in my place?” Owen shook the water out of his blond hair. He’d grown it out nearly to his shoulders about the same time I cut my dark hair short.

  “One of us has to go, but you need to stay here. I will go in your place.”

  “But she’s my sister. You can’t just go in my place.” He ignored the water dripping off his shorts. I’d interrupted his swim by calling him up to talk to me. Theoretically I could have left without telling him—I was his superior—but I didn’t. I wanted Owen on my side.

  “This isn’t up for debate. It isn’t safe for Daisy to travel, and you can’t leave her here.” I played right to his weakness: the other important girl in his life.

  “Daisy isn’t due for another month. She’ll be fine. She wants me to see Hailey.” His face didn’t match his words. He was worried about his mate, as he should have been.

  “Your mate is pregnant with the first Drago to be conceived in decades. You can’t leave her side.”

  He shook his head. “We don’t know what this baby will be.”

  “It won’t be a Pteron.” And there I went, right for his other weakness. What he was.

  “I hate you.” His glare matched his words.

  “I saved your life.” I’d done it for Hailey more than anything, but she didn’t know that. Neither did he. Hailey hadn’t given me the chance to explain anything, and Owen wouldn’t have handled the news well. He was incredibly protective of his younger sister, even though she was fully capable of taking care of herself.

  “You turned me into a Drago.” His expression darkened further. He hadn’t been so upset at first. He’d been relieved, but as soon as his mate became pregnant the anger started. His anger wasn’t all encompassing though, it was only directed toward me.

  “You make that sound like a bad thing.” It was a gift. I’d made him far more powerful than he was before. Pterons weren’t weak creatures, but they had nothing on Dragos. We were the evolved form of dragon shifters. We were older, stronger, and had gifts a Pteron could never achieve, including a nearly infinite lifetime.

  “I don’t want to be a dragon.”

  “And you’re not. You stay humanoid when you shift—just like you did when you were a bird.” I moved my hand in a flight like motion.

  “I wasn’t a bird. I was a Pteron. The greatest creature there is.” He raised his chin. Pterons descended from bird shifters, and although not nearly as strong as we were, they were very high up on the supernatural food chain.

  “Not the greatest, but I will admit there are some redeeming members of your former species.” I was thinking of one Pteron specifically— the only one I cared about.

  “If you touch my sister, I’ll kill you.”

  I laughed. He’d guessed right about which one. “Kill me? Is that right?”

  “Stay away from her. We can skip the conference.”

  “Except we were invited. We are never invited to Society conferences. We can’t turn this opportunity down.”

  “You don’t care about The Society.”

  He was right. I didn’t care about the supernatural organization that ran things in one corner of the human realm, but I did care about someone who was part of it. “I’m going. That’s the end of the discussion.”

  “I’m surprised you even told me.”

  “I need information from you.” And it wasn’t the kind of information he was going to want to share. Still, it was worth asking.

  “What kind of information?”

  “Everything and anything about your sister.” I smiled.

  He lunged for me, pushing me off the mountain side.

  I allowed myself a few wonderful seconds of free fall before I released my long, leathery black wings.

  I flew back up to where Owen stood. “Really? Pushing me off the mountain? You couldn’t do better than that?”

  “Stay away from her.”

  “Why?” I asked a question I’d never asked before. “Why do you want me to stay away? She’s a grown woman. She’s not a little kid anymore.”

  “Because I don’t want you to ruin her.”

  “Ruin her?” I hadn’t expected that answer. “And how do you think I’d do that?”

  “Hailey’s got this spirit, you know? This spirit that keeps her going, and you’ll destroy it. I know what you’re up to.”

  “What I’m up to?”

  “I’m not dumb. And I’m a Drago now whether I like it or not. That means I can see things. I can tell.”

  “Just spit it out, Owen. What do you know?”

  “You want her as your mate.”

  “No. That’s where you’re wrong.”

  “Oh? You don’t want her for that?”

  “It’s not want. It’s need. You don’t get it because you loved Daisy before you became a Drago.” He would never know the need the way I did.

  “You’ll find another. Like I said, you’ll ruin her.” He shrugged. “But you know what? I’m not worried. She won’t go near you.”

  If he only knew how close we’d gotten. I relived it in my mind every night over and over. But this wasn’t the time to lay that on the table. “Ok, then we’re good. I’m leaving tonight.”

  “Tell her to come visit. I can’t take Daisy there so…”

  “I know. I’ll convince her.” Hailey was as protective of her
brother as he was of her. She’d come if he needed her.

  4

  Hailey

  I stood on the roof looking out at the city. At my city. At least that’s how I used to view New Orleans. Now I wasn’t so sure. I was starting to feel like an outsider even in my hometown. Things were changing. The Society was changing, and the people of New Orleans—human or otherwise—were changing too.

  It was dark. As dark as the city ever got. I closed my eyes and released my wings. The transformation was instant as the wave of power flowed through me. I could tell Allie all I wanted about the simplicity of being human, but I couldn’t give this up. Being a Pteron was as much a part of me as my heart and mind.

  I opened my eyes and took one last look at the skyline—focusing on the Hibernia Tower before jumping off into the warm night. The humidity surrounded me as I flew across the city—heading away from the only home I’d ever known. Maybe that was my problem. I’d never tried living somewhere else. I’d never had a desire to before.

  The flight was long, but Allie was right. I wouldn’t have traded it for the private jet. There’s nothing like the feeling of the wind all around you and the endless sky before you. I couldn’t remember a time before I learned to fly. It came as natural to me as walking, and I needed it in the same way I needed food.

  It had been months since I’d flown for more than a few hours, and when my wings grew tired I reveled in it. The strain felt good, a reminder I hadn’t pushed myself enough lately. I’d gone easy on my training too. I’d change that. It was time to get back to my peak form.

  After years of perpetual upheaval, my life had fallen into a relative calm. That calm was on one hand a relief, but it also brought with it an uneasiness. My life wasn’t supposed to be calm.

  As I neared San Francisco, I thought I was going to collapse. I was out of shape for the first time in my life, and I was for sure going to have to do something about it.

  I focused on the skyline, the bright lights lit up the sky. I swooped low over the Golden Gate Bridge, reckless in that I could be spotted, but I didn’t care. If anyone noticed me flying low they’d probably think they were imagining things anyway.

  I circled the Transamerica Pyramid, marveling at the unique architectural design, before heading away from the city, the noise, and the lights, and out toward the forest. As exciting as city life was, the wilderness beckoned to me in another way. The quiet solitude it provided was something my soul craved.

  I landed in a clearing in front of a gorgeous stone house. I craned my neck to take in the beautiful architecture.

  After another moment I headed for the front door. It was far bigger and nicer accommodations than anything I needed, but I wasn’t at all surprised. When the Queen of The Society made your arrangements, you usually ended up in nice digs.

  I lifted the knocker and dropped it waiting for someone to let me in. Usually Allie gave me a key for this kind of thing, but she didn’t this time. I assumed there had to have been some kind of caretaker around. No one answered at first. Normally I wouldn’t have cared at all, but I was exhausted and bed was calling my name. Everything else could wait until morning.

  The door was yanked opened.

  “Hello, beautiful.”

  I stepped back as soon as I heard the voice. Everything about the slight accent and delivery brought back a flood of emotions. One look into the deep green eyes of the voice’s owner brought me back to a sleepless night where I lost my heart.

  I knew one thing. If Allie was in on what was going down she was going to be in search of a new best friend. I composed myself. “Hello, Wyatt. Would you mind telling me what you’re doing here?” Of all my mixed emotions, annoyance at unexpectedly facing this Drago—an evolved form of a dragon shifter, was at the top.

  “Your fearless queen suggested you and Owen could use some sibling bonding time.”

  I tried to see past Wyatt into the house. I didn’t see or sense my brother at all. “Then why are you here?” I gritted my teeth.

  “Because Owen couldn’t get away, and I offered to keep you company myself.”

  “I don’t need anyone keeping me company. And why couldn’t he get away?” Despite my annoyance at Wyatt, I was even more worried about Owen. My brother had been through hell and back over the past few years.

  “You know his transition hasn’t been seamless. He needs to spend more time in the Drago Realm. He’d love if you paid him a visit.”

  “Is he okay?” Guilt shot through me. I hadn’t made any effort to talk to him in months.

  Wyatt smiled. “It’s sweet.”

  “What’s sweet?”

  “That you really care about him. Most adult siblings drift apart.” Wyatt whirled his hand around.

  “He’s my brother. Age doesn’t change that.” But I was being a horrible sister. In order to avoid Wyatt, I’d made no effort to see Owen. I needed to change that.

  “How rude, I should have invited you in already.” He held open the door.

  “You don’t need to stay. I have no problem being alone. Besides isn’t there a caretaker here?”

  “I sent him away. Thought he would enjoy the time off.” He grinned. “The Queen thought you could use the company. Who am I to—”

  “She didn’t think I needed your company. I can assure you of that.” I hadn’t told Allie everything about what had happened between Wyatt and I, but she knew enough to realize how angry I’d be at finding him at the front door. I pushed away my annoyance and anger just enough to keep asking questions. “Why are you really here?”

  "Two reasons." He gestured for me to come inside.

  "Two?" I ignored the gesture and waited for him to explain, trying to ignore how handsome he was. His hair was much shorter than the last time I’d seen him, and even though I usually went for the long hair thing, he looked even better this way.

  “First, I am the Drago representative for the conference tomorrow."

  Was he really going to go there? "There are no women Dragos."

  "So? Men can care about women issues. Besides there are female mates." His eyes brightened at the word mate.

  The way he said mates sent an unwanted shiver through me. Mating with a Drago was exactly the opposite of what I wanted for my life, but one side of mating was sex, and sex with Wyatt was entirely too enjoyable.

  I pushed away those thoughts. “You said there were two reasons?”

  “Yes. There are.” His eyes heated.

  I refused to look away even if the look was having a physical effect on me. "Just spit it out, Wyatt. What's the other reason?" I was sure he needed my help for something.

  "I'm looking at it."

  I glanced back over my shoulder wondering what I’d missed outside.

  “I mean you." He reached out for my hand.

  I pulled it away. "Shut up." I was in no mood to be messed with.

  "No. We have a lot to talk about after the way things ended." His face tensed.

  "Nope. Whole point about the way things ended was that it was clear as day." I’d made sure of that.

  "You left me."

  “So?” I forced myself to play it cool. Now wasn’t the time to let any emotions show.

  "Naked." His eyes bore into mine.

  I pushed away the vision of exactly what that meant.

  "In bed."

  "How does that change how clear it should be?" I wanted to break eye contact, but I couldn’t. His eyes were like magnets.

  "You left me after the single most amazing sexual experience of my life—and you know my life has been long." He wasn’t calling himself old. Dragos had seriously long lifespans even though they looked twenty-five most of their life.

  I worked to keep my expression neutral. “Oh please. That was not the single most amazing experience for you. Get off.”

  “I’d like to.” He winked.

  “Ugh. For someone as old as you are, you act like a teenager.”

  “Wasn’t it for you?” His face suddenly turned serious.

  “Wasn’t what?” The magnetism broke, and I glanced around into the dense trees surrounding the house. Aside from the clearing we were in the middle of the woods.

  “Wasn’t it the single most amazing sexual experience for you?” He could talk about sex in a way I couldn’t. It was so tied to emotion for me—which is what made what happened between us all the worse.